Some Connecticut grocery shoppers started “panic buying” due to the massive dockworker strike that shut down ports from Maine to Texas, leaving dozens of cargo ships stranded at sea. But a deal has been reached to suspend the strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate a new contract.

Karen Bond, of Norwalk, is not taking any chances. She’s stocking up in case groceries sell out.

“I got like 64 rolls of toilet paper online,” she said.

At Stew Leonard’s stores, sales of toilet paper and paper towels tripled on Wednesday.

“We’re already noticing people panic buying, believe it or not,” said president Stew Leonard, Jr.

But Leonard said customers have no need to stockpile goods. Retailers stocked up on most items ahead of the strike, but tropical fruits like pineapples and bananas could be harder to find soon – and could cost more.

“You get something like bananas, it’s a little more difficult because – you know from keeping bananas on your counter in your kitchen – you know, you’ve only got about a week before they start to brown,” Leonard said.

Stew Leonard’s does have one shipment of marinara sauce stuck on a ship, but those bottles can last for several weeks.

Grocery stores aren't the only place consumers could feel the impact. Cooper’s Auto Parts in Westport is also well stocked, but that can only last for so long.

“Ninety percent of the things you buy for your car now are made overseas,” said owner Sandy Cooper. “After three or four weeks, it's going to be a problem getting product. It’s just not going to be available because things are going to be picked up from stores, from warehouses – and warehouses can't replace the item.”

The ports affected by the shutdown include Baltimore and Brunswick, Georgia, the top two busiest auto ports; Philadelphia, which gives priority to fruits and vegetables; and New Orleans, which handles coffee, mainly from South America and Southeast Asia, various chemicals from Mexico and North Europe, and wood products from Asia and South America.

Most holiday retail goods and electronics have already arrived through West Coast ports, which are not on strike, so the impact on those items should be minimal. Toy companies had already diverted many shipments through Los Angeles in anticipation of a strike and inventories at stores right now are healthy, said Greg Ahearn, who leads The Toy Association, the nation’s leading toy trade group.

“The longer this goes on, the higher probability that toys that parents and caregivers want for their children will be scarce and with scarcity comes the potential for higher prices,” he said

On Thursday, President Joe Biden said he believed both sides were moving closer to an agreement.

"I think we’re making progress," Biden told reporters. “We’ll find out soon.”

The International Longshoremen’s Union is demanding a 77% raise and a total ban on the automation of cranes, gates and container-moving trucks that are used in the loading or unloading of freight at 36 U.S. ports. ILA president Harold Daggett said that it would make up for inflation and years of small raises. ILA members make a base salary of about $81,000 per year, but some can pull in over $200,000 annually with large amounts of overtime.

In the meantime, some shoppers said it’s no time to panic.

“It’s nothing,” said Sonia Suarez, of Norwalk. “Not a big deal because it happened before in the pandemic, so I guess we’ll be fine.”